New Tarija prosecutor was defence lawyer for father of alleged Evo Morales victim
Aníbal Cabezas, appointed departmental prosecutor of Tarija, defended Emeterio Vargas in 2024 in the human trafficking case against the former president.
Appointed Tarija prosecutor defended father of Cindy Vargas in case against Evo Morales
Aníbal Cabezas, new departmental prosecutor of Tarija, worked in 2024 as defence counsel for Emeterio Vargas, father of the alleged victim of former president Evo Morales in the aggravated human trafficking case, according to El Deber.
Cabezas took on Vargas's defence whilst he was held in preventive detention at Morros Blancos prison. A year later, the legal professional filed a Liberty Action alleging procedural delays, which led to the release of the father of Cindy Sarai Vargas Pozo, who has had diplomatic asylum in Argentina since August 2025.
Alianza Libre senator Rolando Vacaflor viewed Cabezas's appointment positively. "He is a suitable person and can have much to say in the role. We hope he has a good tenure and that God blesses justice in Tarija and the country because we have lived through dark times," Vacaflor declared.
Alianza Unidad deputy Rodrigo Fuenzalida noted that the appointment opens the possibility of consolidating institutional renewal in the Public Ministry and represents, in his view, the beginning of change for justice in Bolivia.
Cabezas was sworn in on Monday in Sucre by interim general prosecutor of the State José Armando Urioste, and will be formally presented in Tarija in the coming hours. Urioste, through the new appointments of departmental prosecutors, has driven a restructuring process aimed at strengthening the institutional presence of the Public Ministry throughout the country.
Source: El Deber